Guide-forming mechanism



E. A. SlBLEY.

GUIDE romams MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- IB. I919.

Patented Feb. 8,1921.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. SIBLEY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GUIDE-FORMING MECEAN ISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed September 18, 1919. Serial No. 324,623.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD A. SIBLEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Guide-Forming Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improved means for giving and firmly holding to form a flexible member for the purposes primarily of laying out curves of various characters and providing a guide for produclng dlfferent forms or figures.

In its preferred form, the invention comprises a bed or bearing member in combination with parallel rods adapted to be set in adjustable relation therein and jaws or bifurcated bearings swiveled in the rods transversely to their lengths.

The characteristic features of the invention are disclosed in the mechanism set out in the following description and the accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a form and application of the invention; Fig. 2 is an irregular vertical sectional view of mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1 taken longitudinally of one of the rods; and Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of an end of a rod showing an end view of its bifurcated bearing.

The mechanism, as shown in the drawings, compfises a bed or main bearing formed by the channeled bar 1 having the bottom flange 1 providing a supporting base and a head 1 containing the parallel apertures 1 extending parallel to the base, set screws 2 adapted to be operated by a key 3 being movable in the head into the apertures 1.

Rods 4:, having the fiat scaled surfaces 4*, are movable longitudinally in their seats formed by the apertures 1, where they are adapted to be set in the desired positions by the screws 2, the scales thereon serving as a guide therefor when desired.

.The enlarged heads 4 of the rods 4 have swiveled therein, on axes transverse thereto, the respective studs 5 bifurcated by the longitudinal slots 5 provided with the reversely. curved cylindrical surfaces 5", the

studs providing bifurcated jaws or bearings for engaging objects to be set thereby. As illustrated, a flexible device 6, which may be a scaled strip of metal for instance, has one of its edges set in the split studs 5 and, being thus engaged, is given the desired form by setting the rods 4 in the bed 1 in the desired relation, the studs turning freely to eifect accommodation to the desired curve and permit the part 6 to assume the desired form, for as the curved walls of the slots 5 provide substantially line or very narrow bearings against the part 6 and as the studs are swiveled to turn freely to accommodate the set given to the part 6, the desired form is produced and held firmly without crimping, flattening or other irregular effect upon the strip 6.

In use, the member 1 may be placed upon a board 7, to which it can be fixed by a clamp 8 and the strip 6 held in place, to be used as a guide in scribing the board, forming a line on or cutting a paper, cloth or other sheet or article.

The mechanism may be used also for holding a member 6 in a desired position in order to give it a permanent set, or to hold such member as a guide or templet against which articles may be given a set.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a bearing bar having relatively fixed apertures extending therethrough, of a plurality of rods respectively adjustable through said apertures relatively to said bar, means for fixing said rods in their adjustable positions relatively to said bar, and bifurcated bearings extending laterally from said rods and adapted to turn on axes transverse thereto.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pluralityof rods provided with swiveled bifurcated devices for engaging an article, the adjacent surfaces of bifurcations being bent reversely, and means to which said rods are adapted to be engaged in relatively adjustable relation.

Signed at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, this 16th day of September. 1919.

EDWARD A. SIBLEY. 

